For the normal life of any person, it is important that he be he althy. This also applies to the spine. Sometimes people just don't know how to lift and move weights correctly, which can be traumatic for the intervertebral discs.
According to statistics, every third person in the world has problems with the spine, and as a result, disability appears. It all depends not only on how much the things that we lift weigh.
When do you have to lift heavy objects?
There are many activities where you have to lift and move weights. For example, this includes the work of a salesperson who carries a lot of goods of varying severity in one working day.
Girls who have already become mothers raise their children in their arms, and a child at the age of one year sometimes already weighs more than ten kilograms. Alsomany have to regularly carry heavy bags of groceries.
Even if you take into account that from the store to the house can be reached by car, heavy bags will have to be carried to the vehicle, and then from the car to the house. Sometimes this is enough to influence the development or aggravation of osteochondrosis, as well as sciatica.
According to experts, the intervertebral disc, located in the lumbar region, can cope with a load of more than 400 kilograms per centimeter. That is, a person is able to lift such a large weight, and at the same time the spine will cope with it. Proof of this are professional athletes involved in weightlifting, as well as the most common movers. It all depends on how to lift weights correctly. We will talk about this later.
Why follow the rules
Few people think that there are certain rules for how to lift weights. But one rule is familiar to many since childhood, that you can’t carry weights, otherwise you can break your back. And who even listened and understood what this statement warned about? You need to not only listen to the warnings of your loved ones, but also take care of your back yourself.
This does not mean that you can only lift objects with a very small weight, you need to learn how to properly lift weights, as well as how to move and lower them. If the basic rules are not followed, unpleasant consequences may appear.
Consequences of wronglifting weights
The most common consequences of lifting weights incorrectly are:
- back pain;
- diseases of the spine;
- sciatica;
- hernia;
- varicose veins;
- women have uterine prolapse.
It's bad if the spinal muscles are already in a weakened state. Then lifting weights may not be possible at all. At the very beginning of work with weight lifting, listen to your own feelings. If there are difficulties, pain, then there is a possibility of serious he alth problems or non-compliance with the rules when lifting and moving objects.
How to lift heavy objects correctly?
How to lift weights correctly so as not to harm your own back and lumbar, which gets the biggest load? You have to do it with your feet! It is necessary to do such a lift so that the greatest weight of the lifted weight affects the muscles of the legs, thereby removing the exorbitant load from the spine and lower back. If the object is lifted without following the rules, then you can not only get injured, but also earn a sprain.
Let's look at the main recommendations that a person lifting weights can use to reduce the load on their back and not harm their own he alth.
Get a steady posture
Legs are best positioned at widthshoulders, put one foot a little more forward than the other. If required, you can change the position of the legs to achieve the most stable position. Make sure your clothes and shoes are comfortable and don't restrict movement. Squat down, press a heavy object against your body, keep your back straight and start to stand up.
When lowering down, bend your legs only at the knees and hips. If required, you can rest one knee on the floor, and leave the other in an unbent position, so that the weight of your own body and the object is distributed equally.
Remember to keep a straight posture
Look straight ahead, keep your back straight, push your chest slightly forward, straighten your shoulders. When lifting, moving and lowering the load, the spine must always be in a straight position. In this case, the weight will be distributed equally and there will be no problems. This applies to both lifting and carrying weights.
Rise slowly, gradually straighten your hips and knees (do not lean back). Keep your back as straight as possible. You can only deviate towards a heavy object.
Hold the weight as close to you as possible
If possible, it is best to keep the load at the level of the navel. The load must be distributed between two hands. The closer the center of gravity of the object is to the back, the less effort is needed to maintain an even posture. If you bend your back, then the load on the intervertebral disc in the lower back increases twenty times. If the cargo is irregular in shape, thentry to hold it in such a way that the heaviest part is located as close to the body as possible, about the height of the belt.
If you need to move the load, move in small steps. If possible, it is better to divide a heavy object into smaller parts.
Some recommendations
- If you do not know how to move weights correctly, use these recommendations. It is best not to carry a heavy bag or any other load in only one hand. In particular, this rule must be observed if it is necessary to move the weight over a considerable distance. Take the opportunity and divide the load so that you can carry it in two hands at once. Nothing can be ruled out. For example, if you need to carry a lot of food in a T-shirt bag, position your hands so that the back of your hand is facing forward. By placing the arms in this way, the least harm will be done to the back, because the muscles of the entire torso will help.
- Hold the load in two hands. Especially if you need to keep it for a long time. Due to this, the load is equally distributed across the back. The load on the spine will act much less.
- It is most convenient to move heavy objects over long distances on your back, and not with your hands. The best option for carrying cargo can be a backpack. It helps the load to evenly affect the spine, lumbar and shoulders, so the chance of injury becomes much less.
- Don't move a lot of weight by holding it on your shoulder. Bestoption - a bag equipped with wheels, or a simple backpack. On the ground and on wheels, moving weight is much easier. But in this case, remember that when lifting a bag on wheels, for example, into transport, it is first better to lift it on the footrest, keeping your posture straight. But if you try to pull in the load, bent strongly, then the load on the back grows many times over. In addition, it is more convenient to push the load, rather than drag it from behind.
In order to know how to properly lift weights for a woman, you need to understand that the female body is different from the male. There are certain rules. According to safety precautions, with constant work, the female sex can lift no more than 7 kg in one lift.
If you do not know how to lift weights correctly, then just follow the recommendations, and then there will be no back problems.
